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Legislative candidate bounced from the ballot

A judge has ruled that a legislative candidate—who won in August’s primary election—is not eligible to be on November’s ballot. From Phoenix, KJZZ’s Steve Goldstein has more.

Republican Darin Mitchell ran for one of two House seats in GOP-leaning Legislative District 13. Mitchell finished second, defeating incumbent Representative and fellow Republican Russ Jones. But Jones filed a challenge, saying Mitchell actually lived in the Democratic-friendly District 18. Following a day and a half of testimony, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Robert Oberbillig agreed with Jones that Mitchell was living in Avondale, not Litchfield Park. Oberbillig ruled that Mitchell’s name has to be removed from the November general election ballot.

Precinct committeemen and women from District 13 are scheduled to meet today in Yuma to choose a replacement for Mitchell on the ballot. The Secretary of State’s office says they have a five o’clock deadline for picking a candidate. If they don’t, then no name will go on the ballot instead of Mitchell and anyone can file to run as a write-in candidate.